Be Sure to Brush Your Tongue

Posted February 20, 2018.

Brushing your teeth is important, but it is also important to brush your tongue. Doing so helps keep your breath from becoming stinky.

Tiny, natural crevices exist on both your teeth and your tongue, where food and bacteria can get trapped a lot of times. Both these captives can cause bad breath. As such, you need to clean your tongue as well as your teeth.

A toothbrush works best for cleaning out your teeth, but it is not as effective for cleaning your tongue. The crevices there are simply too small for the toothbrush. To help you reach into those areas, you can use a tongue brush or scraper.

Prior to starting, remember to rinse off the tongue brush or scraper. If you use a tongue brush, you will need some toothpaste, but it may not be necessary for a tongue scraper. When using either tool, start at the back of your tongue. Take care not to gag yourself, as you need not go that far back.

Brush or scrape gently from the back to the front. You should get the top and the sides of your tongue for a thorough clean. Once you are finished, you should rinse off the brush or scraper again, to keep it clean for next time.

If you want to learn more ways to maintain oral health, feel free to talk with our dentist, Dr. George Yzaguirre. You can visit him at our office in Corpus Christi, Texas. You just need to call 361-431-3113 to get in touch and set up an appointment.